Sail Away

What Sail Away does

Sail Away Group SPRL is a privately held Belgian sailing services company operating since 1992 from headquarters in Brussels (rue Lanfray 12) and a port base in Nieuwpoort. The company runs an integrated portfolio spanning five service lines: a Sailing School offering theoretical and practical instruction for ICC brevets, VHF/SRC certification, and marine weather courses; Ocean Adventures and Cruising Club experiences providing skippered transatlantic crossings and bareboat/crewed charters; Offshore Racing under the associated 'Sail for Belgium' brand with the Class40 vessel Merena in events including the Rolex Fastnet Race and RORC Caribbean 600; Yacht Care maintenance and repair services; and a sailing media arm (Sail Away MAG) producing weekly video content on YouTube. Technology infrastructure is maritime rather than software-based, relying on onboard satellite IRIDIUM communications, GMDSS equipment, radar, and personalized weather routing to enable offshore operations.

The business operates a community-led go-to-market model with a team of approximately 19 named members — primarily founder-family members (Guillaume) alongside experienced Atlantic-crossing skippers, instructors, and a marine weather specialist — servicing individual sailing students, cruising enthusiasts, yacht owners, and racing crews. Revenue streams are all classified as professional services with quote-based, pay-as-you-go pricing that is not publicly disclosed; course calendars are published seasonally (Spring 2026 dates are live as of January 2026). Marketing is concentrated on community channels: a Facebook sailing school group, Mailchimp newsletter subscription, YouTube (Sail Away MAG), Instagram, and LinkedIn. The company has no institutional investors, no funding rounds, no parent entity, and operates from a flat ownership structure centered on the founding Guillaume family, currently anchored by Sylvie Guillaume (Weather Specialist / Meteo Marine) following the passing of founder Alexis Guillaume and co-founder Bernard Toussaint.

Geographically, Sail Away's fixed footprint is Belgium, but its operational reach through ocean crossings, international racing circuits, and cruising itineraries spans Western Europe, North America, the Caribbean, South America (Brazil), South Africa, and Atlantic islands. The company has logged operational milestones including a 22-month world voyage covering 23,000 nautical miles and 50,000 nautical miles cumulatively over seven years on the Merena vessel, with crew members reportedly spending over 250 days annually on the water.

Name

Sail Away

Legal name

Sail Away Group SPRL

Website

https://sailaway.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sail Away is a privately held Belgian sailing services company founded in 1992, operating a sailing school, cruising club, offshore racing team (Sail for Belgium/Class40 Merena), yacht care services, and sailing media (Sail Away MAG) for individual sailing students, cruising enthusiasts, yacht owners, and racing crews.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sailing School and Charter Services

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721), Coastal and Great Lakes Passenger Transportation (483114)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJAJAG

Sailing Experiences (Lessons, Regattas, Day Sails)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Marine & Water Experiences (Boat Tours, Diving, Snorkeling, Fishing)

SECONDARYTHAEABAF

Luxury Yacht & Small-Ship Expedition Cruises

Travel & Hospitality/Cruises & Maritime Leisure Travel/Luxury & Expedition Cruise Lines

SECONDARYTHAEAEAB

Bareboat Yacht Charters (Self-Skippered)

Travel & Hospitality/Cruises & Maritime Leisure Travel/Cruise Charter & Private Cruise Services

SECONDARYTHAKAGAM

Educational Cruises & Shipboard Learning Programs

Travel & Hospitality/Travel Agencies, Tour Operators & OTAs/Group Travel & Educational Travel Operators

Keywords

• Sailing instruction
• Yacht charter services
• Offshore racing
• Yacht maintenance
• Marine weather routing

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Sailing Courses: Theoretical and practical sailing instruction including initiation courses, ICC brevets (restricted and general), VHF/SRC certification, weather courses, and practical exams
2. Cruising Experiences: Ocean adventure crossings including transatlantic voyages, crewed charters, and offshore sailing trips
3. Yacht Care Services: Boat maintenance services including routine upkeep, cleaning, repairs, rigging, electrical, mechanical, plumbing work, painting, antifouling, and winter preparation
4. Racing Participation: Offshore racing events including Round the Island Race, Rolex Fastnet Race, RORC Caribbean 600, and Class40 competitions
5. Sailing Media: Maritime magazine video content, sailing documentaries, and educational maritime media production

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sail Away operates a Belgian sailing school offering theoretical and practical instruction (initiation courses, ICC brevets, VHF/SRC and GMDSS certification, weather courses) along with ocean adventure crossings, bareboat and crewed cruising charters, competitive offshore racing under the Sail for Belgium brand (including Class40 campaigns aboard Merena), professional yacht maintenance, performance coaching, and personalized marine weather routing. Content production through the Sail Away MAG video magazine documents voyages and races.

Product overview

Sail Away is a Belgian sailing services company founded in 1992, operating as a unified service portfolio rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offerings include the Sailing School (providing theoretical and practical instruction for ICC certifications, VHF/SRC operator certificates, and marine weather), Ocean Adventures (transoceanic crossings with professional skippers and satellite communication), Cruising (bareboat and crewed charter experiences), Offshore Racing under the Sail for Belgium brand (Class40 racing with the Merena vessel), Yacht Care (maintenance and repair services), Sail Away Magazine (video magazine content), Coaching (performance training), and Marine Weather (forecasting and routing services). These services share a common infrastructure of experienced skippers, shared vessels, and maritime expertise, allowing customers to progress from beginner courses through advanced ocean passages and competitive racing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sail Away MAG: Marine magazine featuring video reportages about sailing, cruising, and racing adventures.
• Merena
• Sail for Belgium

Products and services

• Sailing School

Quantifiable outcome

• 50,000 nautical miles navigated over 7 years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Sail for BelgiumminorOthersAssociated sailing project and website dedicated to Belgian offshore racing, with participation in races like the Round Britain & Ireland Race in 2014 where they set a victory and record.
• Sailing TogetherminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation created by Bernard Toussaint to enable sailing together for able-bodied and disabled individuals, demonstrating commitment to inclusive sailing.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• UK Sailing Academy (UKSA): UK-based sailing school and watersports training charity offering RYA certifications, youth programs, and instructor training. Comparable to Sail Away's school and certification programs, with similar target audience of aspiring sailors.
• Sunsail: Global sailing charter operator offering bareboat and crewed charters across the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and other regions. Directly comparable as a sailing charter provider, though at significantly larger scale and with broader geographic reach than Sail Away.
• The Moorings: Yacht charter company offering bareboat, skippered, and crewed charters in destinations worldwide. Comparable to Sail Away's charter and ocean adventure offerings, with deeper fleet and destination infrastructure.
• MedSailors: Sailing holiday company offering flotilla and crewed charters in Greece, Croatia, and the British Virgin Islands. Comparable to Sail Away's cruising experiences targeting amateur sailors seeking skippered adventures.
• Dream Yacht Charter: International yacht charter company with a global fleet and school-at-sea offerings. Directly competes with Sail Away's bareboat and crewed charter business, with broader Mediterranean and Caribbean destination coverage.
• Atlantic Yachting: Sailing school and charter operator in Gibraltar offering RYA courses, charter, and yacht management. Comparable to Sail Away's sailing school and charter business, serving Atlantic-crossing customers from a smaller geographic base.

Emerging players

• Flying Fish Online: RYA training center offering sailing and watersports instructor courses, with a focus on career-oriented sailing certifications. Comparable to Sail Away's certification courses and instructor pathway, though with a more vocational/training focus.

Broad incumbents

• Neilson Active Holidays: Established UK-based active holiday operator offering sailing courses, flotilla holidays, and watersports alongside broader multi-sport packages. Comparable to Sail Away's sailing school and cruising offerings within a larger portfolio.

Others

• Royal Yachting Association (RYA): UK national sailing governing body that sets training standards and certifies sailing schools and instructors. Comparable as the certification ecosystem in which Sail Away's ICC/VHF/GMDSS courses operate, rather than a direct competitor.

Regional players

• Spinnaker Sailing: US-based sailing school and charter operator on San Francisco Bay offering ASA certifications, charter, and club programs. Comparable to Sail Away's school and club business model, but operating in a different geographic market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLuiplDXcAepk0mXoE4EkU2ITfN-Xf0iw9
• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/eleves.sailaway.sailing.school
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sail-away
• Instagraminstagram.com/alexis.sailaway

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sail Away